1/14 Instance: The Way It's Supposed to End

[Slarti]

Timelined a day or so after Judas LeBeau

Malice: Malice picked at the choker, a habit she had taken up since the skin had begun to peel around it more, and lounged back against the wall by their cot. That and the swelling didn't make it terribly comfortable but Lorna always fought harder when she tried to take it off. "Gaudy."

Lorna: Lorna sighed inside their head. It was painful enough in there without Malice deciding that they wanted to talk. You just can't pull it off.

Malice: Malice rolled their eyes and regretted it, considering if they needed to go see their friend the toilet again for some hugs. "I'm you, stupid girl." Malice rolled themself over onto their stomach, letting their hand fall over to touch the cool floor and tried to convince their eyes that it wasn't really moving. "Feels nice."

Lorna: Lorna was thankful to be laying down, hoping that Malice would go to sleep.

Bobby: This time, the guards hadn't taken any chances. When the door opened, Bobby's hands were still restrained behind his back, cuffed at the elbows. He kept his head down, offering no resistance.

Bobby: Doctor Feelgood had been far from pleased at his attempt to remove his pet from the gene pool. His burns were not life theatening, so Essex had said they could simply heal the old fashioned way. Bobby also suspected Essex didn't want to turn his collar down one notch.

Bobby: The restraint was removed, and when the door closed he glanced once at Lorna to see she was there and simply sat down on his cot.

Malice: Malice woke right up when the guards came in with Bobby and gave a nod to one of the guards, recognizing him but not quite sure on the name. She never paid much attention to things like that.

Lorna: Lorna, although very relieved to see Bobby, wanted to scream. God, couldn't Malice just go to sleep? They both needed it.

Malice: "Well, if it isn't our George Foreman coming back after his fight. Looks like you got your hands stuck in one of your grills too." Malice tried to make them laugh but it came out rather cough-like. She slumped forward, watching Bobby, smirking evident despite the swelling.

Bobby: Bobby didn't reply. He was relieved she was here, and not hugging the toilet, though when he looked up at her, the same rage rose inside. Essex hadn't been interesting in dealing with him. His submission for her release, but Essex already had both of them where he wanted them.

Bobby: Letting his hands dangle from his knees was making them throb in time with his head. He slowly scooted back on the cot, bringing his legs up to rest his forearms against his thighs. Why did it always feel colder in this cell?

Malice: Malice frowned, sad that that one didn't get a response. She had been proud of it too. She liked the look in his eyes though. "Mmm, hates us doesn't he? Bet that makes you feel great inside. All warm and fuzzy." Malice decided that they felt well enough to stand up and walk a bit. Their legs were sore but they felt a bit better than yesterday or they had tricked themself into believing it.

Lorna: Not me he hates. Lorna managed to point out but wanted to cringe as they started to move, not agreeing with the decision at all.

Malice: "There's no difference. Especially that he knows." Malice's speech was slurred still but she seemed pleased with it. "Do you?"

Bobby: Bobby looked up from staring off into space at that. "I don't hate you. I just wish I could help you." His voice was flat, tired, and he watched her moving slowly. Great, and now she was babbling again.

Bobby: It made his skin crawl that she channeled Gollum right before his eyes.

Malice: "I don't need your help." Malice spoke clearer than she had managed for days and with as much of a superior air as she could manage to get out of this body. "I'm winning more and more every day and she just won't admit it. Stubborn. You're all much too stubborn for your own good."

Lorna: Lorna bit her lip that she knew was only in her mind, wanting to come up with something to argue back with, something to push Malice away even for just a minute. They had played this argument over and over again so many times but neither of them had complete control. Lorna knew that. For now that would have to be enough for her.

Malice: "Always trying to be one step away from me. Going to be cornered one day. One day." Malice wagged a finger as if to emphasize her point although she wasn't talking to Bobby at that point.

Bobby: "She? What do you even fucking mean, she?" Bobby sat up straighter. Essex had been right about one thing -- his own thoughts were clearer now, even if Lorna's weren't. It'd been obvious even before the mercury something had happened to make her.... split? Watching Dr. Phil sure as fuck hadn't prepared him for these psychological problems.

Malice: Malice laughed again, walking closer to the door with a bit of a stagger. "She, she. You know who she is. She certainly whimpers about you enough." Malice let her voice go flat, almost in a conspiring tone with a wink. "Insipid."

Malice: Malice leaned their body against the wall in a bored manner, picking some of the smaller flakes of skin out of their nails. "All I can do to shut her up sometimes. Far too stubborn."

Bobby: "Well, it looks like you're feeling better." About me? Bobby shifted to the end of the bed, watching her lean and pick. God. "You're she. You've got to snap out of this, Lorna. You are stubborn, that's why you've got to snap out of this."

Malice: "She's stubborn but I'm moreso." Malice looked over her hands again and sighed. Another vessel falling apart. "And you're right. I am she. Explain that to her." Malice boredly walked again, closer to Bobby's cot.

Bobby: "I am explaining that to you." He stood up, suppressing another shiver. Fucking powers. Trying to cross his arms sent pain shooting from his hands straight through him, so he just held them awkwardly in front of him. "You're Lorna."

Malice: Malice tilted her head at him, smiling with a hint of victory. "That's right. I'm Lorna."

Bobby: He blinked at her. That tactic hadn't worked. All the king's horses and all the king's men.... Fucking hell! Not again. Bobby shook his head to clear it. "Except you're clearly not."

Lorna: Lorna wanted to scream, wanted to punch something, wanted to be able to strangle a non-coporeal being living in her body, wanted to do something! She was sure if she wasn't really insane she would be soon. The fuck you are, Malice! The fuck you are!

Malice: Their face darkened, Malice having to swallow hard to keep Lorna down. There was still a bit of drool that wanted to come out though. "You'd best get used to it. Because I'm here to stay."

Bobby: This... this drooling, puffy, peeling monster... it couldn't be Lorna, could it? He'd been so sure she was in there a few minutes ago, but now? What if Essex had done more than poison her? He of course hadn't told him jack shit, just said the symptoms would pass for her just as they would for him.

Bobby: He stared at her for a long moment, trying to read her eyes, then stepped closer. "So am I."

Malice: Malice blinked, not sure what the hell that was supposed to mean at all. Wasn't it bad enough that she not only couldn't swap out of this body, had a most annoying body mate, but now she had this person in front of her threatening to be around? Malice smirked again, this time wickedly rather than victoriously. "Do I not have any say in that matter?"

Bobby: "Nope. Essex wouldn't cut a deal with me like he did with that fucker LeBeau. As long as you're here, I'm here." Bobby tilted his head. "If you were really still Lorna, that would mean something to you."

Malice: Malice could feel their teeth gritting together, her portion out of anger and Lorna's her usual frustration. The girl only had one mode really it seemed. Malice stepped up closer to Bobby, meeting his eyes, studying him hard.

Bobby: She stank of puke and another sickly sweet smell, but he resisted the urge to step back. Her eyes were... wrong. He'd seen it before, but now... "What, no snappy comeback?"

Malice: Malice was more angry because there wasn't really a snappy comeback at all. She was stuck here in this wreck of a body in what might be the closest thing to Hell. She balled up Lorna's disgusting hand into a fist and swung it at Bobby's face, putting as much strength in it as she dared.

Lorna: Fuck! No no, leave him alone! Goddamnit leave him alone!

Bobby: Bobby reeled back from the sucker punch, staggering into the adjacent wall. As unpredictable as she'd been he hadn't expected that. It felt like his nose and cheekbone had exploded.

Bobby: Can't live with them, can't live without them. "Fucking hell, woman!" Shaking his head just brought more pain, and he snarled, pushing off from the wall to slam her back against her own wall.

Malice: Malice hadn't been expecting retaliation and was quite surprised to find their body shoved against the wall. She grappled to get ahold of Bobby, to shove him off of her, strangle him or something. She spat at him for good measure. The fucking drool should be good for something after all.

Lorna: OhGodOhGodOhGodOhGod. Lorna was trying very much to pull herself together, to get some little bit of control back just to make this stop before the damned bitch hurt Bobby.

Bobby: He didn't want to hurt her, and she'd been so sick, but she seemed strong enough now. The spit caught him in his swelling eye. "Gah!" All work and no play. "No, just - fucking stop!"

Bobby: It was like trying to cage a viper, and pain was screaming though his hands as the burned skin tore. He tried to pin her, jamming his elbow up against her neck to immobilize her and take the pressure off his hands.

Malice: Malice felt Lorna struggling inside of her which amused her. She felt her head slam into the wall which dazed her and just really pissed her off. Malice pushed her head off of the wall and tried harder to push Bobby away, even trying to sink her teeth into the closest burnt hand but just barely unable to reach it.

Bobby: Doing this without hands just wasn't working. He worked a leg behind hers to lift her foot from the floor. Shoving hard against her remaining leg they hit the floor and he scrambled to get back on top.

Bobby: It had hurt like hell, and her head had smacked against the floor, but he weighed more than her - he could just sit on her until... something.

Malice: Malice swore loudly as their head smacked into the floor. She was going to probably regret this in the morning. When she was done swearing though she realized something and realized that Lorna had realized it as well. She could feel her scrambling for control again, wanting to get to their powers before Malice did. The collar had cracked against the floor.

Malice: Malice didn't know the powers as well as Lorna of course but she was damned if she wasn't going to jump at the opportunity. She pulled apart their cot, sending a bit of ripped off leg towards Bobby's head.

Bobby: Bobby didn't know what it was that hit him until he was knocked back partially off her, vision going red. Stunned, he tried to regain control, but he felt uncoordinated and fell back. His eyes were stinging and he raised a hand to his face, the bandages coming back bloody.

Lorna: Malice stumbled back to their feet, staggering and dizzier than usual. "Well, well, thanks!" She lifted their old collar with Lorna's powers, waving it threateningly.

Lorna: Lorna still railed on Malice's mind inside, struggling for every ounce of control she thought she could get her hands on. Malice didn't know what she was doing with those powers. There had to be a way to get control.

Bobby: He blinked repeatedly, wiping the blood from his eyes and trying to focus. His thoughts were shattered again, but it slowly dawned she'd thrown part of the fucking bed at him. Her powers were back.

Bobby: "Oh, God, Lorna..." Trying to get to his feet, he wasn't sure now if the blood on his ugly green scrubs was from his hands or from the hole she'd tried to knock in his head. Swiss cheese - nature's own Wiffle!

Malice: "No, you were right earlier. I'm not Lorna." Malice threw the collar at his stomach and pulled the bed leg up again. "I'm a whole lot better than Lorna fucking Dane." Malice let the leg swing. "I deserve this body."

Bobby: What? Everything was fuzzy now, but something told him he should pay attention to her words... unfortunately, the collar distracted his shaky balance. The metal chunk took him across the chest, crashing into his collar and catching. He hit the wall, sliding to the floor.

Bobby: Landing face down, Bobby felt more than heard an electronic hiss. There was a crackling, and something snapped in his brain. The shift to ice was startling, uncontrollable, the temperature in the room plummeting.

Malice: "What the? Fuck!" Malice staggered back, not liking this shift at all. It made Lorna fight that much harder too but Malice refused to let go just yet. This was her body and she wasn't going to let some angry ass have it back just because she didn't want to see her boyfriend take a beating.

Bobby: Bobby reached for the already frozen collar around his throat and squeezed until it shattered. He stood, forming a thick shell of ice around her lower body. It would be easy now to lower the temperature until she passed out, then break the door.

Bobby: But as she struggled, he hesitated. What if he killed her? Surely to God, his Lorna was still in there. Somewhere.

Malice: "Stop. Please." Malice could feel herself weakening and Lorna strengthening. She pawed at the ice around her, flailing against it trying to break it away. "Get it off, please."

Malice: Malice wiped at their face, instead of the usual drool getting a mixture of tears and the mercury Sinister had so generously shot in them. That simply couldn't be healthy. "Please."

Bobby: The tone. "God, Dee...baby?" Visions of Lorna on the Danger Room floor rose to his mind's eye. Swore I'd never hurt her. He dissolved the ice.

Lorna: No! Damnit! Lorna swore more after that, pounding her fists in her mind. She had been so close that time. So fucking close.

Malice: Malice took a moment to catch her breath and wipe their face off again. That had been most unpleasant.

Bobby: He took a step toward her, realizing he still had the bandages stuck to his hands and shaking off the frozen material. Of course, they were fine now - his head, fine. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Lorna: There was nothing Lorna would like more than to get out.

Malice: Malice smiled her crooked smile and held out her hand to Bobby, feeling Lorna's power come back to her. She knew there was no place for her where Bobby wanted to go. They would find a way and she would be without a body. Malice was not going to let that happen to her. "You first."

Malice: Malice didn't know what she was doing but Lorna had an idea and struggled for control more than she thought possible. Malice pulled at Bobby's ice every way she could make possible.

Bobby: Bobby couldn't move. His eyes locked on Lorna's, confused, then stunned when he realized there was nothing he recognized in her eyes. Gone. He tried to lash out with his own powers, but he couldn't.

Bobby: No, no, no, no! Panicking, he tried again, but all he felt was a tingling, tugging, pulling that grew until he screamed. No, please, we're not supposed to end like this-

Lorna: As soon as the ice flew apart and hit her, Lorna had her body back. She brought her hands up to defend her face but not before something metal smacked her in the cheek.

Lorna: Lorna grabbed onto it and put her arms down, looking around her, numbly comprehending what had just happened. Malice was still in her, somewhere, but hiding away. Lorna couldn't guess why but she had a feeling she was kidding herself if she assumed it was because Malice had lost.

Lorna: Lorna felt herself begin to shake and sat down heavily on the ground. Bobby was gone. No, Bobby was dead. She had failed, she seemed to be getting really good at failing recently. She couldn't even control her own body and it had cost her Bobby.

Lorna: Lorna was about to throw whatever it was that hit her but as she balled it up in her fist she realized what it was. She brought it over to look at it and flipped the necklace's pendant over to the inscription, feeling sicker than she'd ever felt because of anything Essex had done to her.

[wingyding]

what the fuck.

[JSherlock]

Poor Lorna and Bobby! Totally shit-tastic. They're gonna be really screwed up afterwards.

[fourpawsonthefloor]

Awww. Jesus guys. This was so so so good. You are rocking this so hard.

Bobby. Even knowing that was coming - its still sad as hell.

Paws

[Esynthia]

I second the Paws. This was an AMAZING instance. one of the best yet, in my opinion. just... WOW.

[Edited on 1/15/2008 by Esynthia]

[NachtcGleiskette]

Oh man.....jesus. Poor Bobby...poor Lorna! This was heartbreaking!

[littlebamf]

Uuuhh. Yeah. See above. I woke up too recently to form comments...

[TechPrincess]

is it bad that I LOL at Malice?